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Post by borneobus on Apr 18, 2023 19:53:17 GMT
As you’re probably aware, it’s The London Marathon this coming Sunday and Blackheath (as always) will be the starting point. It’s the annual opportunity for Blackheath to be showcased in the BBC coverage with some iconic aerial shots of the 40,000+ runners setting off, almost certainly musically accompanied by the late Greek composer Vangelis Papathanassiou’s “Chariots of Fire” and watched by viewers enjoying a lazy Sunday breakfast. Putting the marathon aside, a while ago, ronnie suggested that Blackheath is a rather nice location to view London buses (but not this coming Sunday morning) and he’s spot-on. On a rainy / sunny day in late March I took the Elizabeth Line to Woolwich, and alighted for the first time at the new ‘WWC’ station. My best intentions were to make an e2e ride on the 386 (Woolwich High Street – Blackheath Village) but I was running late so had an excuse for not being shaken around for an hour plus on a circuitous SE London route aboard an Enviro 200. In the end it took 12 minutes on Southern to travel Woolwich Arsenal – Blackheath. BLACKHEATH VILLAGEAt the junction of B212 (Royal Parade) and Montpelier Row. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm54 / Stagecoach / TL / 17 / 10 / Elmers End Station - Beckenham - Catford - Lewisham - Blackheath - Woolwich 89 / Go-Ahead / BX / 15 / 12 / Slade Green - Bexleyheath - Welling - Shooters Hill - Blackheath – Lewisham Station 108 / Go-Ahead / MG/NX / 18 / 10 / Lewisham - Blackheath - North Greenwich - Bow - Stratford City - Stratford Int Stn 202 / Arriva / N / 15 / 10 / Blackheath - Lee - Catford - Lower Sydenham - Sydenham - Wells Park - Crystal Palace 380 / Stagecoach / TL / 14 / 12 / Belmarsh - Thamesmead West - Broadwaters - Woolwich - Woolwich Dockyard - Charlton - Charlton Church Lane - Eastcombe Avenue - Blackheath - Blackheath Village - Lewisham Hill - Lewisham 386 / Go-Ahead / MG / 11 / 17 / Woolwich - Woolwich Common - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Dursley Road - Blackheath Royal Standard - Westcombe Park - East Greenwich - Greenwich - Blackheath Hill - Blackheath Village 6 Routes / 3 Operators / 5 Garages / Total PVR = 90 Bus Departures per hour = 59 WHAT YOU’LL SEE An even split of DD/SD routes. The 54 is operated by a mix of Catford based Enviro 400s and Enviro 400MMCs that links Blackheath with Beckenham (to the south) and is a fairly direct bus link to Woolwich. Meanwhile the Go-Ahead operated 89 enjoys a varied allocation consisting of Bexleyheath E, EN, WVL & WVN. Similar to the 96, a long stretch of the route is on the long, straight old Roman road ‘Watling Street’ but at Bexleyheath the route deviates to head north to Slade Green via Bexleyheath and BX. The final DD route is Arriva’s sole route here, the 202 that’s operated by a dedicated batch of Enviro 400MMCs HT1-HT17 from Norwood. On to the SD routes and the 108 continues, for now to be operated by MECs from MG but it has been mooted on the forum that SEe freed from the 507 and 521 are on the way. The two 12 metre Irizar i2e (Ei) are currently both VOR (Ei1 since June 2022 and Ei2 since January 2023), I wonder if either will ever reappear on the route? I often think that the 108 is one of the routes that sees the most notable change of surroundings of any London route – the modern rather uninspiring Stratford International, authentic East End in Poplar, the modern architecture and roads in North Greenwich then Blackheath Village and all the greenery. To the 380 that’s operated with YX17 plate Enviro 200MMCs from Catford and finally the sole, and afore-mentioned Blackheath Village terminator 386 operated with SE/SEN/WS. SUMMARY I took the short walk north from Blackheath Station and came across a Bus Stop that’s a contender for one of the nicest names of any London bus stop ‘Tranquil Vale’ – it’s only served by the 386 southbound to Lewisham – but as if to break the spell 36646 working the 386 headed north, it’s final destination probably the most foreboding bus stop in London ‘Belmarsh Prison’. Then a walk onto Royal Parade where a couple of MG SENs (SEN14 & SEN20) were resting between 386 duties. Blackheath Village is very pleasant with individual ‘one-off’ bakeries and butchers and with the huge expanse of grass to the north-west (literally ‘Blackheath’) the visitor cannot miss the 19th Century Anglican parish church ‘All Saints’ Blackheath that sits on a small hillock on the edge of the heath. I made my way to the ‘The Clarendon Hotel’ (the bus stop – not the actual hotel) that’s on Prince Charles Road. It’s a lovely spot on the edge of Blackheath but there’s a price to be paid as there’s absolutely no cover in bad weather as I discovered when some squally rain started. I returned to Royal Parade and took a 380 north towards Belmarsh. It was a shortish ride, past Zippos Circus (what no apostrophe?) on Blackheath, then north across the A2 alighting at ‘Blackheath / Royal Standard’ – an area that I thought is ‘Vanbrugh Park’ but I was to learn different. BLACKHEATH STANDARDAt the junction immediately north of The Royal Standard pub and south of Batley Park where Stratheden Road, Old Dover Road, Vanbrugh Park, Westcombe Hill & Charlton Road meet. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm53 / Stagecoach / PD / 29 / 9 / Plumstead Station - Plumstead Common - Woolwich - Blackheath - Deptford - New Cross - Elephant & Castle - Lambeth North 54 / Stagecoach / TL / 17 / 10 / Elmers End Station - Beckenham - Catford - Lewisham - Blackheath - Woolwich 108 / Go-Ahead / MG/NX / 18 / 10 / Lewisham - Blackheath - North Greenwich - Bow - Stratford City - Stratford Int Stn 202 / Arriva / N / 15 / 10 / Blackheath - Lee - Catford - Lower Sydenham - Sydenham - Wells Park - Crystal Palace 286 / Go-Ahead / MG / 14 / 11 / Sidcup - Avery Hill - Eltham - Kidbrooke - Blackheath Royal Standard - East Greenwich - Greenwich 335 / Arriva DT / 7 / 12 / Kidbrooke - Blackheath Royal Standard - Millennium Village - North Greenwich 380 / Stagecoach / TL / 14 / 12 / Belmarsh - Thamesmead West - Broadwaters - Woolwich - Woolwich Dockyard - Charlton - Charlton Church Lane - Eastcombe Avenue - Blackheath - Blackheath Village - Lewisham Hill - Lewisham 386 / Go-Ahead / MG / 11 / 17 / Woolwich - Woolwich Common - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Dursley Road - Blackheath Royal Standard - Westcombe Park - East Greenwich - Greenwich - Blackheath Hill - Blackheath Village 422 / Stagecoach / PD / 16 / 11.5 / Bexleyheath - Pickford Lane - King Harold's Way - East Wickham - Plumstead - Woolwich - Charlton - Blackheath Royal Standard - East Greenwich - North Greenwich 9 Routes / 3 Operators / 7 Garages / Total PVR = 141 Bus Departures per hour = 92 WHAT YOU’LL SEE A little busier than Blackheath Village, the 53 is one of few South London truly east-west trunk routes, possesses one of the larger London Bus PVRs and is operated predominantly by hybrid Enviro 400s in the 123** range from Plumstead Garage. The 286 brings some variety with StreetLites operating down to Queen Mary’s Hospital south of Sidcup. Meanwhile the 335 is Arriva’s sole route here, short for a DD route and operated currently from Dartford with HV and the odd stray DW; I stand to be corrected but suspect the route’s primary aim is to provide Kidbrook Village residents with a link to their local railway station and further north to link local residents with Westcombe Park Station and of course the Jubilee Line at North Greenwich. It's always interesting to see where buses ‘rest’ at termini and walk north to the northern end of Batley Park and the chances are you’ll see a couple of HTs in-between duties on the 202 parked-up on ‘Blackheath Royal Standard Bus Stand’ that’s a bit of no man’s land in the middle of the road adjacent to Invicta Road. Also of note here was Optare MetroDecker EV CN21 FZB operated by Centaur on behalf of University of Greenwich. SUMMARY As mentioned I thought this area was known (as per maps) as ‘Vanbrugh Park’ but a couple of shops ‘Blackheath Standard Pharmacy’ and ‘Standard DIY’ got me thinking. As I waited at ‘Blackheath / Royal Standard’ bus stop, I struck up a conversation with a lady waiting for a 422. She was local so I asked “Silly question, what do you call this area…Vanbrugh Park…??” The friendly lady replied “No, we call it Blackheath Standard”. As she answered a 422 arrived and we both boarded Enviro 400H 12350, for me just a short two minute ride to Westcombe Park Station to conclude a very pleasant, if at times rainy morning in Blackheath.
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Post by northlondon83 on Apr 19, 2023 10:46:06 GMT
As you’re probably aware, it’s The London Marathon this coming Sunday and Blackheath (as always) will be the starting point. It’s the annual opportunity for Blackheath to be showcased in the BBC coverage with some iconic aerial shots of the 40,000+ runners setting off, almost certainly musically accompanied by the late Greek composer Vangelis Papathanassiou’s “Chariots of Fire” and watched by viewers enjoying a lazy Sunday breakfast. Putting the marathon aside, a while ago, ronnie suggested that Blackheath is a rather nice location to view London buses (but not this coming Sunday morning) and he’s spot-on. On a rainy / sunny day in late March I took the Elizabeth Line to Woolwich, and alighted for the first time at the new ‘WWC’ station. My best intentions were to make an e2e ride on the 386 (Woolwich High Street – Blackheath Village) but I was running late so had an excuse for not being shaken around for an hour plus on a circuitous SE London route aboard an Enviro 200. In the end it took 12 minutes on Southern to travel Woolwich Arsenal – Blackheath. BLACKHEATH VILLAGEAt the junction of B212 (Royal Parade) and Montpelier Row. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm54 / Stagecoach / TL / 17 / 10 / Elmers End Station - Beckenham - Catford - Lewisham - Blackheath - Woolwich 89 / Go-Ahead / BX / 15 / 12 / Slade Green - Bexleyheath - Welling - Shooters Hill - Blackheath – Lewisham Station 108 / Go-Ahead / MG/NX / 18 / 10 / Lewisham - Blackheath - North Greenwich - Bow - Stratford City - Stratford Int Stn 202 / Arriva / N / 15 / 10 / Blackheath - Lee - Catford - Lower Sydenham - Sydenham - Wells Park - Crystal Palace 380 / Stagecoach / TL / 14 / 12 / Belmarsh - Thamesmead West - Broadwaters - Woolwich - Woolwich Dockyard - Charlton - Charlton Church Lane - Eastcombe Avenue - Blackheath - Blackheath Village - Lewisham Hill - Lewisham 386 / Go-Ahead / MG / 11 / 17 / Woolwich - Woolwich Common - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Dursley Road - Blackheath Royal Standard - Westcombe Park - East Greenwich - Greenwich - Blackheath Hill - Blackheath Village 6 Routes / 3 Operators / 5 Garages / Total PVR = 90 Bus Departures per hour = 59 WHAT YOU’LL SEE An even split of DD/SD routes. The 54 is operated by a mix of Catford based Enviro 400s and Enviro 400MMCs that links Blackheath with Beckenham (to the south) and is a fairly direct bus link to Woolwich. Meanwhile the Go-Ahead operated 89 enjoys a varied allocation consisting of Bexleyheath E, EN, WVL & WVN. Similar to the 96, a long stretch of the route is on the long, straight old Roman road ‘Watling Street’ but at Bexleyheath the route deviates to head north to Slade Green via Bexleyheath and BX. The final DD route is Arriva’s sole route here, the 202 that’s operated by a dedicated batch of Enviro 400MMCs HT1-HT17 from Norwood. On to the SD routes and the 108 continues, for now to be operated by MECs from MG but it has been mooted on the forum that SEe freed from the 507 and 521 are on the way. The two 12 metre Irizar i2e (Ei) are currently both VOR (Ei1 since June 2022 and Ei2 since January 2023), I wonder if either will ever reappear on the route? I often think that the 108 is one of the routes that sees the most notable change of surroundings of any London route – the modern rather uninspiring Stratford International, authentic East End in Poplar, the modern architecture and roads in North Greenwich then Blackheath Village and all the greenery. To the 380 that’s operated with YX17 plate Enviro 200MMCs from Catford and finally the sole, and afore-mentioned Blackheath Village terminator 386 operated with SE/SEN/WS. SUMMARY I took the short walk north from Blackheath Station and came across a Bus Stop that’s a contender for one of the nicest names of any London bus stop ‘Tranquil Vale’ – it’s only served by the 386 southbound to Lewisham – but as if to break the spell 36646 working the 386 headed north, it’s final destination probably the most foreboding bus stop in London ‘Belmarsh Prison’. Then a walk onto Royal Parade where a couple of MG SENs (SEN14 & SEN20) were resting between 386 duties. Blackheath Village is very pleasant with individual ‘one-off’ bakeries and butchers and with the huge expanse of grass to the north-west (literally ‘Blackheath’) the visitor cannot miss the 19th Century Anglican parish church ‘All Saints’ Blackheath that sits on a small hillock on the edge of the heath. I made my way to the ‘The Clarendon Hotel’ (the bus stop – not the actual hotel) that’s on Prince Charles Road. It’s a lovely spot on the edge of Blackheath but there’s a price to be paid as there’s absolutely no cover in bad weather as I discovered when some squally rain started. I returned to Royal Parade and took a 380 north towards Belmarsh. It was a shortish ride, past Zippos Circus (what no apostrophe?) on Blackheath, then north across the A2 alighting at ‘Blackheath / Royal Standard’ – an area that I thought is ‘Vanbrugh Park’ but I was to learn different. BLACKHEATH STANDARDAt the junction immediately north of The Royal Standard pub and south of Batley Park where Stratheden Road, Old Dover Road, Vanbrugh Park, Westcombe Hill & Charlton Road meet. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm53 / Stagecoach / PD / 29 / 9 / Plumstead Station - Plumstead Common - Woolwich - Blackheath - Deptford - New Cross - Elephant & Castle - Lambeth North 54 / Stagecoach / TL / 17 / 10 / Elmers End Station - Beckenham - Catford - Lewisham - Blackheath - Woolwich 108 / Go-Ahead / MG/NX / 18 / 10 / Lewisham - Blackheath - North Greenwich - Bow - Stratford City - Stratford Int Stn 202 / Arriva / N / 15 / 10 / Blackheath - Lee - Catford - Lower Sydenham - Sydenham - Wells Park - Crystal Palace 286 / Go-Ahead / MG / 14 / 11 / Sidcup - Avery Hill - Eltham - Kidbrooke - Blackheath Royal Standard - East Greenwich - Greenwich 335 / Arriva DT / 7 / 12 / Kidbrooke - Blackheath Royal Standard - Millennium Village - North Greenwich 380 / Stagecoach / TL / 14 / 12 / Belmarsh - Thamesmead West - Broadwaters - Woolwich - Woolwich Dockyard - Charlton - Charlton Church Lane - Eastcombe Avenue - Blackheath - Blackheath Village - Lewisham Hill - Lewisham 386 / Go-Ahead / MG / 11 / 17 / Woolwich - Woolwich Common - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Dursley Road - Blackheath Royal Standard - Westcombe Park - East Greenwich - Greenwich - Blackheath Hill - Blackheath Village 422 / Stagecoach / PD / 16 / 11.5 / Bexleyheath - Pickford Lane - King Harold's Way - East Wickham - Plumstead - Woolwich - Charlton - Blackheath Royal Standard - East Greenwich - North Greenwich 9 Routes / 3 Operators / 7 Garages / Total PVR = 141 Bus Departures per hour = 92 WHAT YOU’LL SEE A little busier than Blackheath Village, the 53 is one of few South London truly east-west trunk routes, possesses one of the larger London Bus PVRs and is operated predominantly by hybrid Enviro 400s in the 123** range from Plumstead Garage. The 286 brings some variety with StreetLites operating down to Queen Mary’s Hospital south of Sidcup. Meanwhile the 335 is Arriva’s sole route here, short for a DD route and operated currently from Dartford with HV and the odd stray DW; I stand to be corrected but suspect the route’s primary aim is to provide Kidbrook Village residents with a link to their local railway station and further north to link local residents with Westcombe Park Station and of course the Jubilee Line at North Greenwich. It's always interesting to see where buses ‘rest’ at termini and walk north to the northern end of Batley Park and the chances are you’ll see a couple of HTs in-between duties on the 202 parked-up on ‘Blackheath Royal Standard Bus Stand’ that’s a bit of no man’s land in the middle of the road adjacent to Invicta Road. Also of note here was Optare MetroDecker EV CN21 FZB operated by Centaur on behalf of University of Greenwich. SUMMARY As mentioned I thought this area was known (as per maps) as ‘Vanbrugh Park’ but a couple of shops ‘Blackheath Standard Pharmacy’ and ‘Standard DIY’ got me thinking. As I waited at ‘Blackheath / Royal Standard’ bus stop, I struck up a conversation with a lady waiting for a 422. She was local so I asked “Silly question, what do you call this area…Vanbrugh Park…??” The friendly lady replied “No, we call it Blackheath Standard”. As she answered a 422 arrived and we both boarded Enviro 400H 12350, for me just a short two minute ride to Westcombe Park Station to conclude a very pleasant, if at times rainy morning in Blackheath. Interesting. I'm not local but I've gone by the maps definition with Vanbrugh Park being where Royal Standard and Blackheath for the A2 and southwards to Blackheath village and station. It's also interesting to note that a) Vanbrugh Park is in Greenwich borough and Blackheath village is in Lewisham borough and b) Vanbrugh Park/Royal Standard I believe is closer to Westcombe Park station than Blackheath station. I've also wondered what people call the area by Angerstein Roundabout? East Greenwich or Westcombe Park? I go for Westcombe Park because the train station is right by it but I guess both are correct. I usually define a place name by the nearest station but with the case of Royal Standard there isn't one nearby
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Post by borneobus on Apr 23, 2023 9:46:39 GMT
Today I’m out west in Zone 6 at West Drayton taking a look at the upgrading work / Elizabeth Line branding recently added to the station (WDT). Normally, the station “In and Out” would be the perfect place to view buses in West Drayton, as all routes serve the station but not at the moment. The Bus Stops here have been closed for a number of months due to what I understand to be remedial work required to the road surface to accommodate buses (cars can continue to drop-off / pick-up). So my location to view buses today is a couple of minutes walk north, passing the closed Barclays Bank to the junction of Horton Road besides the Grand Union Canal. WEST DRAYTONAt the junction of Yiewsley High Street and Horton Road. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm222 / Metroline / UX / 17 / 10 / Uxbridge - Cowley - Yiewsley - West Drayton - Sipson - Cranford - Hounslow West – Hounslow 350 / Abellio / DH / 5 / 20 / Hayes - Stockley Park - West Drayton - Harmondsworth - Colnbrook By-Pass – Heathrow T5 U1 / Metroline / UX / 8 / 15 / West Drayton - Apple Tree Avenue - Colham Green - Uxbridge - Ickenham - West Ruislip – Ruislip U3 / Metroline / UX / 11 / 12 / Heathrow Airport Central - Harmondsworth - West Drayton - Colham Green - Brunel University - Uxbridge U5 / Abellio / DH / 11 / 12 / Hayes - Stockley Park - Stockley Estate - West Drayton - Colham Green - Pield Heath - Cowley - Uxbridge5 Routes / 2 Operators / 2 Garages / Total PVR = 52 Bus Departures per hour = 42 WHAT YOU’LL SEE The 222 is by far the busiest route serving West Drayton with 4.7 million pax in 2022 and provides a direct and reasonably fast route to Uxbridge. It’s operated by Metroline with two batches of VWHs (2167-2186 and 2345-2363) that are dedicated to the 222 and 114. Substitutions are rare and in 2023 to date TE have made three short rush-hour appearances but that’s all. The other dedicated DD route is the Abellio operated U5 that’s interesting insofar as it’s (I think) the only route to simultaneously operate two types of EV with currently Electroliners (3019-3030 minus 3025) and BYD Enviro 40EV City 3441 operating the route. 3441 is an anomaly as the only bus of the original batch of EV buses that operated the U5 (3431-3441) that has not been transferred to WL. Having said that for reasons unknown to me 3438-3440 appear to have been used only intermittently mid-February to date (?) whilst the others are enjoying life on the 63 and 68. Metroline UX operate the U1 with DE/DEL and it’s the sole West Drayton terminator. Buses used to park-up at the station whilst at rest with West Drayton Station the first/last stop. Because of the afore-mentioned road issues the U1 is currently parking-up in Horton Road with the first/last stops Yiewsley High Street. Meanwhile also UX operated with DE/DEL, and usually supplemented with a TE or two is the U3, that’s the only bus route to serve the Wise Lane Estate south-west of West Drayton town. The bus provides a valuable link for Heathrow workers to Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station and Terminals 2 & 3. Finally Abellio allocate Enviro 200MMCs in the range 8893-8898, and apart from the odd U7 this is the only route they operate. The route runs east to Hayes and west to Heathrow Terminal 5. To the east of West Drayton is Stockley Park. It’s a Business Park that goes back the best part of forty years and is home to blue-chip corporate offices including Apple, Canon, M&S, Sharp, Samsonite and Toshiba but football fans will probably be more interested that VAR is run from the IMG Studios here. Three buses serve Stockley Park: A10 that provides a link north to Uxbridge and south to Heathrow and two of the buses serving West Drayton serve Stockley Park – the 350 via Horton Road where it’s the only bus that serves this light-industrial / car dealership area and the U5 that’s the only bus to route via Porters Way (much new-build on the former site of LATCC – London Air Traffic Control Centre) and a post-war former council estate before crossing the busy A408 dual-carriageway into Stockley Park.
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Post by borneobus on Apr 30, 2023 9:50:04 GMT
TOOTING BROADWAYOutside Tooting Broadway LU Station at the crossroads of A24 (Tooting High Street) & A217 (Garratt Lane / Mitcham Road) For my latest visit I discarded the Northern Line and arrived courtesy of WVN34 having completed a reasonably enjoyable end2end on the 131 from Kingston. It was the middle of a Sunday morning, and I was immediately aware of a man acting unpredictably running across the road brandishing an item (bottle?) above his head. I decided to keep an eye / keep my distance, but he soon melted away and I was able to view the action unhindered from next to Edward VII’s statue outside the station. TOOTING BROADWAY STATION OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm44 / Go-Ahead / AL / 16 / 10 / Tooting Station - Tooting - Earlsfield - Wandsworth - Battersea - Chelsea Bridge - Victoria 57 / Go-Ahead / AL / 24 / 10 / Kingston - Norbiton - Raynes Park - Wimbledon - Colliers Wood - Tooting - Streatham - Clapham Park 77 / Go-Ahead / SW / 18 / 10 / Tooting Station - Tooting - Earlsfield - Clapham Junction - Vauxhall - Waterloo 127 / Go-Ahead / C / 17 / 10 / Purley - Woodcote Green - Wallington - Carshalton - Mitcham – Tooting 131 / Go-Ahead / AL / 21 / 8 / Kingston - New Malden Fountain - Raynes Park - Wimbledon - Colliers Wood - Tooting 155 / Go-Ahead / SW / 17 / 8 / Tooting St George's Hospital - Balham - Clapham - Stockwell - Kennington - Elephant & Castle 219 / Go-Ahead / AL / 11 / 12 / Wimbledon - Colliers Wood - Tooting - Trinity Road - Clapham Junction Asda 264 / Go-Ahead / C / 11 / 12 / West Croydon - Mitcham Common - Mitcham - Tooting - St George's Hospital 270 / Abellio / BC / 13 / 10 / Mitcham - Tooting - Earlsfield - Wandsworth - Putney Bridge 280 / Go-Ahead / GM / 14 / 10 / Belmont - Sutton - Rosehill - Mitcham - Tooting St George's Hospital 355 / Go-Ahead / C / 12 / 12 / Mitcham - Tooting - Balham - King's Avenue - Brixton 493 / Go-Ahead / AL / 16 / 12 / Richmond - East Sheen - Roehampton - Putney Heath - Southfields - Wimbledon - Tooting St George's Hosp G1 / Go-Ahead / SW / 13 / 15 / Streatham - Tooting - Wandsworth Common - Clapham South - Clapham Junction - Shaftesbury Estate 13 Routes / 2 Operators / 5 Garages / Total PVR = 203 Bus Departures per hour = 142 LONGMEAD ROAD ADDITIONS (100 METRES EAST OF TOOTING BROADWAY STATION) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm127 / Go-Ahead / C / 17 / 10 / Purley - Woodcote Green - Wallington - Carshalton - Mitcham – Tooting 333 / Arriva / BN / 16 / 10 / Tooting - Streatham - Brixton - Stockwell - Kennington - Elephant & Castle 2 Routes / 2 Operators / 2 Garages / Total PVR =33 Bus Departures per hour = 12 Starting with the Tooting terminators TOOTING STATION (TOO) 44 – Operated from Merton (AL), on paper at least with StreetDecks WSD2-WSD23, you’re as likely to find an E, WHV, WVN operating the route and even the odd WVL and VE2 or VE3 as you are a WSD. The southern terminus of Tooting Station is just a four-minute ride away whilst Victoria of course considerably longer. Another terminator here is the 77 operated by EH from Stockwell. TOOTING (ST GEORGE’S HOSPITAL) Terminating on Bus Stands in Blackshaw Road on the west side of the hospital are the Stockwell operated 155 (WHVs) that from Tooting Broadway follows a direct, straight route to Elephant & Castle via A24 / A3. Of more topical interest is the 264 that’s emblematic of the substantial in progress change to GAL operations in this part of South London with the 264 having transferred to EV in January operated from ‘C’ (Beddington Cross) with Ee70-Ee93 that are shared with the 119. The final route to terminate here (all serve Tooting Broadway) is the 280 operated from the new outstation at GM (Goat Road) currently with a mix of E, EHV & WVN. Terminating within the grounds of St George’s Hospital are a pair of single-deck routes, both Go-Ahead operated. The 493 is one of the longer single-deck routes @ 14 miles and Richmond seems a long way in a SE – typically they are operated with 10.2 and 10.8 metre versions whilst the G1 is operated by its shorter 9.6 metre version MMC cousins SE246-SE260 on a convoluted route up to Battersea. TOOTING BROADWAY STATION The 131 is another route where the AL allocators keep you guessing and at the time of writing there’s WHV, WSD, WVN and VE3 on the route – it’s final stop is of course ‘Tooting Broadway Station’ in Tooting High Street then it’s a sharp right turn at the lights to park up in Longmead Road, besides Primark. The other two routes separately mentioned above (127 & 333) also park up here but don’t physically pass Toooting Broadway Station. Arriva’s 333 has the same destination of E&C as the aforementioned 155 but takes a different routing via Streatham High Road and Brixton Hill (passing BN where the route is operated from with HA/HV) before cutting across to Stockwell and following the 155’s routing via Oval to Elephant & Castle. Of the through routes there’s also plenty of interest and despite being predominantly GAL there’s lots of variety specifically StreetLites from AL on the 219 and from C on the 355 (together with a mix of DD). On the 57, this long South London east-west trunk route the days of diesel are apparently numbered with from July “12 new electric and 7 existing hybrid double deckers” operating the route. Finally, one other non GAL route to mention - the 270, operated in the main by a dedicated batch of Abellio BC based Enviro 400 MMCs 2022-2036. IN SUMMARY I cannot think of a significant London point that where one operator so dominant with GAL approaching 90% of the PVR. Despite the dominance of one operator (I find GAL a really interesting operator) this is a really great location to enjoy London buses with lots of routes operated by a fair number of different types and it’s busy. I thought the siting of the Edward VII statue was rather strange, so I investigated and found that it was funded by public subscription and first erected in 1911, the year after the King’s death but was resited by the station in 1994.
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Post by borneobus on May 13, 2023 7:34:42 GMT
TOTTENHAM HALE BUS STATION In the small Bus Station adjacent to Greater Anglia managed Tottenham Hale Station (TOM); my most recent visit to Tottenham Hale was last month travelling up from Archway on a 41 end2end aboard HV338. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm41 / Arriva / AR / 19 / 6 / Tottenham Hale - West Green - Wood Green Turnpike Lane - Crouch End - Archway 76 / Go-Ahead / NP / 19 / 10 / Tottenham Hale - Stamford Hill - Stoke Newington - Hoxton - St Paul's - Waterloo 123 / Arriva / AR / 20 / 10 / Ilford - Gants Hill - Southend Road - Forest Road - Tottenham Hale - Tottenham - Turnpike Lane Station - Wood Green Station 192 / Arriva / E / 15 / 10 / Enfield - Bush Hill Park - Bury Street - Montagu Road - Edmonton Lea Valley Tesco - Watermead Way - Tottenham Hale 230 / Go-Ahead / NP / 11 / 15 / Upper Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Walthamstow - Tottenham Hale - Philip Lane - Wood Green Station W4 / Arriva / WN / 14 / 10 / Oakthorpe Park - Wolves Lane - Wood Green - Broadwater Farm Estate - Tottenham - Jarrow Road 6 Routes / 2 Operators / 4 Garages / Total PVR = 98 Bus Departures per hour = 60 Three terminators and three through-routes. The afore-mentioned 41 is one of the shorter DD routes at just 5 miles and is operated by Arriva Tottenham with a mix of diesel DW and hybrid HV. Meanwhile Go-Ahead Northumberland Park operated LTs on the 76 that operates south to Dalston, Old Street cutting across west to Aldwych then crossing Waterloo Bridge terminating at Lower Marsh adjacent to Waterloo Station. The 192 parks up between services on Watermead Road, just around the corner from Tottenham Hale Station and is operated by Arriva Enfield with 9.0 metre EN/ENN. On its route to Little Park Gardens in Enfield it serves Meridian Water Station (MRW) which readers will recall only opened as recently as 2019, and a trio of LO stations (Edmonton Green, Bush Hill Park & Enfield Town). Of the thru’ routes. both the 123 (AR DW & HV) and the 230 (NP Ee) originate in Wood Green and head east from Tottenham Hale along Forest Road (passing between reservoirs to the north and south) to Blackhorse Road Station before diverging to Ilford (123) and Upper Walthamstow (230). Finally, WN ENNs operate the W4 on a route that terminates just south of the North Circular and just west of where the North Circular meets the A10, the southerly terminating point is just four stops from Tottenham Hale, turning besides Ferry Lane Primary School parking on a purpose-built Bus Stand that’s a ‘Buses Only’ area. IN SUMMARY Of course, far from the busiest bus location but I rather enjoy visiting Tottenham Hale, which incidentally I learnt that the word ‘Hale’ is an old English word meaning “to hoist or to pull” that relates to cargo that was unloaded from the River Lea (particularly timber). For whatever reason, I also enjoy using the Victoria Line and always seems a speedy way to get to Walthamstow with few stations to slow the journey – in fact discounting the obvious Waterloo & City ‘two stations’, the Victoria Line with just 16 is the line with the fewest and one anorak point is that only Pimlico doesn’t have another rail connection.
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Post by borneobus on Jun 18, 2023 14:51:16 GMT
A Saturday trip out south-east of Croydon to the massive housing estate(s) of NEW ADDINGTON starting at… VULCAN WAY
As I arrived in New Addington on a terminating 64 and departed e2e to Thornton Heath on a 130, Vulcan Way’s the obvious place to start. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm64 / Arriva / TH / 21 / 7.5 / Vulcan Way - New Addington - Fieldway - Selsdon - Croydon - Thornton Heath Bus Garage 130 / Abellio / BC / 11 / 12 / Vulcan Way - Arnhem Drive - New Addington - Headley Drive - Fieldway - Shirley Hills - Addiscombe - Woodside - Norwood Junction - Thornton Heath 2 Routes / 2 Operators / 2 Garages / Total PVR = 32 / Bus Departures per hour = 13 The 64 is operated from TH with LJ10 & LJ60 Enviro 400s and in addition T7 / LJ08 CVY survives…for now. From Addington Village Interchange (more later) that’s located at the most northerly point of New Addington to Vulcan Way (towards the south) there are no fewer than 23 bus stops that helps put into context the size of New Addington. Vulcan Way is a smallish light industrial area and the parking area for the 64 & 130 is just around the corner from Vulcan Way in King Henry’s Drive that’s the main north/south artery through New Addington. Meanwhile the 130 is operated by Abellio from Beddington Cross with a dedicated back of Enviro 200MMCs (8185-8196). ADDINGTON VILLAGE INTERCHANGE
OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm64 / Arriva / TH / 21 / 7.5 / Vulcan Way - New Addington - Fieldway - Selsdon - Croydon - Thornton Heath Bus Garage 130 / Abellio / BC / 11 / 12 / Vulcan Way - Arnhem Drive - New Addington - Headley Drive - Fieldway - Shirley Hills - Addiscombe - Woodside - Norwood Junction - Thornton Heath 314 / Stagecoach / TB / 15 / 12 / New Addington - Headley Drive - Addington Interchange - Hayes - Bourne Vale - Bromley - Elmstead Woods - New Eltham - Eltham 353 / Go-Ahead / MB / 7 / 20 / Ramsden - Orpington - Locksbottom - Hayes - Addington Interchange - Forestdale 359 / Go-Ahead / C / 2 / 45 / Addington Interchange - Monks Hill - Selsdon - Sanderstead - Purley Downs Road - Purley 433 / Abellio / BC / 8 / 10 / Addington Interchange - Forestdale - Selsdon Vale - Selsdon - Croham Valley - Croydon Park Street 466 / Arriva / TC / 19 / 8 / Caterham-on-the-Hill - Old Coulsdon - Purley - South Croydon - East Croydon - Upper Shirley - Addington Interchange 7 Routes / 4 Operators / 6 Garages / Total PVR = 83 / Bus Departures per hour = 56 New Addington has not always enjoyed the best of reputations and that extended to transportation links, but the introduction of Tramlink in 2000 was a game-changer for the area with Croydon and Wimbledon served direct. “Integrated Public Transport Solutions” isn’t always a term you’d associate with “UK PLC”, but the Addington Village Interchange located next to Addington Village Tram Stop is a small example. For any who haven’t visited the area the Interchange is located away from houses and shops save a Harvester so typically those boarding/alighting will be transferring bus2bus or more typically bus2tram. There are five bus stops located in a dedicated bus only area. At the time of my Saturday lunchtime visit I was surprised at the number of pax using the interchange. Terminating here are Arriva’s 466, operated with a mix of TC diesel DWs and hybrid HVs, Abellio’s 433 that operates a convoluted route to East Croydon (take the tram or a 466) with BC Enviro 200s and sole (so far) shiny EV Caetano e.City Gold 1543. Completing the terminators is the 359, a low-frequency route that links Addington with Purley via Selsdon and Sanderstead. It’s fully EV operated by former NP based SEe166 & SEe167. Staying with EV the 353 links Orpington with New Addington and has been operated from March this year by Ee103-Ee111. NEW ADDINGTON TRAM STOP (sitting on the grass on Parkway just to the north of Central Parade) The heart of New Addington and on Central Parade you’ll find a Co-op Food, Cardfactory, KFC, Iceland, Costa, Poundland etc. Despite all these well-known names and the fact that New Addington is described as a ‘town’ it still feels like a very big estate to me. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm64 / Arriva / TH / 21 / 7.5 / Vulcan Way - New Addington - Fieldway - Selsdon - Croydon - Thornton Heath Bus Garage 130 / Abellio / BC / 11 / 12 / Vulcan Way - Arnhem Drive - New Addington - Headley Drive - Fieldway - Shirley Hills - Addiscombe - Woodside - Norwood Junction - Thornton Heath 314 / Stagecoach / TB / 15 / 12 / New Addington - Headley Drive - Addington Interchange - Hayes - Bourne Vale - Bromley - Elmstead Woods - New Eltham - Eltham 464 / Abellio / BC / 3 / 30 / Tatsfield - Sunningvale Avenue - Biggin Hill - Saltbox Hill - New Addington 4 Routes / 3 Operators / 3 Garages / Total PVR = 50 / Bus Departures per hour = 33 Two terminators, both of which park on Parkway on the east side of the green. The 314 is a longish 14 mile route operating broadly north through Hayes, Bromley, New Eltham and finally Eltham Station. It’s operated by Stagecoach from Bromley with Enviro 200s. Also Enviro 200 operated is the 464, this time with short 9 metre MMC variants in the 81xx and 82xx range from BC. The short route takes in Biggin Hill and terminates next to the picturesque Tatsfield Village Green. In conclusion New Addington is a surprisingly interesting place to view London buses – of course not great numbers of buses but some of the more unusual routes that don’t touch the main bus locations including the 130, 359 and 464 and a reasonable variety of old and new.
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Post by croydonguy on Jun 23, 2023 8:04:34 GMT
A Saturday trip out south-east of Croydon to the massive housing estate(s) of NEW ADDINGTON starting at… VULCAN WAY
As I arrived in New Addington on a terminating 64 and departed e2e to Thornton Heath on a 130, Vulcan Way’s the obvious place to start. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm64 / Arriva / TH / 21 / 7.5 / Vulcan Way - New Addington - Fieldway - Selsdon - Croydon - Thornton Heath Bus Garage 130 / Abellio / BC / 11 / 12 / Vulcan Way - Arnhem Drive - New Addington - Headley Drive - Fieldway - Shirley Hills - Addiscombe - Woodside - Norwood Junction - Thornton Heath 2 Routes / 2 Operators / 2 Garages / Total PVR = 32 / Bus Departures per hour = 13 The 64 is operated from TH with LJ10 & LJ60 Enviro 400s and in addition T7 / LJ08 CVY survives…for now. From Addington Village Interchange (more later) that’s located at the most northerly point of New Addington to Vulcan Way (towards the south) there are no fewer than 23 bus stops that helps put into context the size of New Addington. Vulcan Way is a smallish light industrial area and the parking area for the 64 & 130 is just around the corner from Vulcan Way in King Henry’s Drive that’s the main north/south artery through New Addington. Meanwhile the 130 is operated by Abellio from Beddington Cross with a dedicated back of Enviro 200MMCs (8185-8196). ADDINGTON VILLAGE INTERCHANGE
OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm64 / Arriva / TH / 21 / 7.5 / Vulcan Way - New Addington - Fieldway - Selsdon - Croydon - Thornton Heath Bus Garage 130 / Abellio / BC / 11 / 12 / Vulcan Way - Arnhem Drive - New Addington - Headley Drive - Fieldway - Shirley Hills - Addiscombe - Woodside - Norwood Junction - Thornton Heath 314 / Stagecoach / TB / 15 / 12 / New Addington - Headley Drive - Addington Interchange - Hayes - Bourne Vale - Bromley - Elmstead Woods - New Eltham - Eltham 353 / Go-Ahead / MB / 7 / 20 / Ramsden - Orpington - Locksbottom - Hayes - Addington Interchange - Forestdale 359 / Go-Ahead / C / 2 / 45 / Addington Interchange - Monks Hill - Selsdon - Sanderstead - Purley Downs Road - Purley 433 / Abellio / BC / 8 / 10 / Addington Interchange - Forestdale - Selsdon Vale - Selsdon - Croham Valley - Croydon Park Street 466 / Arriva / TC / 19 / 8 / Caterham-on-the-Hill - Old Coulsdon - Purley - South Croydon - East Croydon - Upper Shirley - Addington Interchange 7 Routes / 4 Operators / 6 Garages / Total PVR = 83 / Bus Departures per hour = 56 New Addington has not always enjoyed the best of reputations and that extended to transportation links, but the introduction of Tramlink in 2000 was a game-changer for the area with Croydon and Wimbledon served direct. “Integrated Public Transport Solutions” isn’t always a term you’d associate with “UK PLC”, but the Addington Village Interchange located next to Addington Village Tram Stop is a small example. For any who haven’t visited the area the Interchange is located away from houses and shops save a Harvester so typically those boarding/alighting will be transferring bus2bus or more typically bus2tram. There are five bus stops located in a dedicated bus only area. At the time of my Saturday lunchtime visit I was surprised at the number of pax using the interchange. Terminating here are Arriva’s 466, operated with a mix of TC diesel DWs and hybrid HVs, Abellio’s 433 that operates a convoluted route to East Croydon (take the tram or a 466) with BC Enviro 200s and sole (so far) shiny EV Caetano e.City Gold 1543. Completing the terminators is the 359, a low-frequency route that links Addington with Purley via Selsdon and Sanderstead. It’s fully EV operated by former NP based SEe166 & SEe167. Staying with EV the 353 links Orpington with New Addington and has been operated from March this year by Ee103-Ee111. NEW ADDINGTON TRAM STOP (sitting on the grass on Parkway just to the north of Central Parade) The heart of New Addington and on Central Parade you’ll find a Co-op Food, Cardfactory, KFC, Iceland, Costa, Poundland etc. Despite all these well-known names and the fact that New Addington is described as a ‘town’ it still feels like a very big estate to me. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm64 / Arriva / TH / 21 / 7.5 / Vulcan Way - New Addington - Fieldway - Selsdon - Croydon - Thornton Heath Bus Garage 130 / Abellio / BC / 11 / 12 / Vulcan Way - Arnhem Drive - New Addington - Headley Drive - Fieldway - Shirley Hills - Addiscombe - Woodside - Norwood Junction - Thornton Heath 314 / Stagecoach / TB / 15 / 12 / New Addington - Headley Drive - Addington Interchange - Hayes - Bourne Vale - Bromley - Elmstead Woods - New Eltham - Eltham 464 / Abellio / BC / 3 / 30 / Tatsfield - Sunningvale Avenue - Biggin Hill - Saltbox Hill - New Addington 4 Routes / 3 Operators / 3 Garages / Total PVR = 50 / Bus Departures per hour = 33 Two terminators, both of which park on Parkway on the east side of the green. The 314 is a longish 14 mile route operating broadly north through Hayes, Bromley, New Eltham and finally Eltham Station. It’s operated by Stagecoach from Bromley with Enviro 200s. Also Enviro 200 operated is the 464, this time with short 9 metre MMC variants in the 81xx and 82xx range from BC. The short route takes in Biggin Hill and terminates next to the picturesque Tatsfield Village Green. In conclusion New Addington is a surprisingly interesting place to view London buses – of course not great numbers of buses but some of the more unusual routes that don’t touch the main bus locations including the 130, 359 and 464 and a reasonable variety of old and new. New Addington/Addington Village isn’t as interesting as it once was for buses. Metrobus certainly used to provide the area with variety, especially when the T32 existed, which was always a game of Russian roulette as to what bus you was going to get on the route.
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Post by borneobus on Jul 8, 2023 9:38:34 GMT
ENFIELD TOWN (standing outside Enfield Town London Overground Station) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm121 / Arriva / E / 21 /10 / Enfield Lock - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - Southgate - Palmers Green - Turnpike Lane Station 191 / Arriva / E / 19 /10 / Brimsdown - Enfield Wash - Forty Hill - Chase Side - Enfield - Ponders End Station - Edmonton Green 192 / Arriva / E / 15 / 10 / Enfield - Bush Hill Park - Bury Street - Montagu Road - Edmonton Lea Valley Tesco - Watermead Way - Tottenham Hale 231 / Metroline / PB / 7 / 15 / Enfield - Great Cambridge Road - Wood Green Turnpike Lane Station 307 / Arriva / E / 15 / 10 / Brimsdown - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - East Barnet - New Barnet - Barnet - Barnet Hospital 313 / Arriva / E / 8 / 20 / Potters Bar - Botany Bay - Enfield - Ponders End - Chingford 317 / Metroline / PB / 5 / 20 / Waltham Cross - Great Cambridge Road - Enfield 329 / Arriva / AD / 15 / 7.5 / Enfield - Winchmore Hill - Palmers Green - Wood Green - Turnpike Lane Station 377 / Arriva / E / 3 / 30 / Oakwood - Lonsdale Drive - Enfield - Bush Hill Park - Lincoln Road - Ponders End 456 / Go-Ahead / 5 / 30 / Crews Hill Golf Ride - Clay Hill - Willow Road - Enfield - World's End Lane - Church Hill - Winchmore Hill - Farm Road - Firs Lane - North Middlesex Hospital W8 / Metroline / PB / 16 / 8 / Chase Farm Hospital - Lavender Hill - Baker Street - Enfield - Church Street - Edmonton Green - Picketts Lock W9 / Sullivan Buses / SM / 7 / 15 / Chase Farm Hospital - Holtwhite's Hill - Enfield - Old Park - Winchmore Hill Station - Southgate 12 Routes / 4 Operators / 4 Garages / Total PVR = 136 / Bus Departures per hour = 111 WHAT YOU’LL SEE As you’re aware Enfield is very much an Arriva town enjoying 70% of the total PVR of the routes serving Enfield Town Station, the vast majority operating from Enfield (E) garage in Ponders End that dates back to 1927 when it was built for the London General Omnibus Company. Nearly 100 years later the hot news is of course the transition of the 307 to EV with Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners ES1-ES16 allocated to the route however at the time of writing ES14 & 15 are yet to enter service with DWs taking up the slack. Speaking of DWs there are in excess of 50 based at E although it’s a fair assumption that the number will decrease with the arrival of the ESs. The 121 is solely operated with DWs (routing Turnpike Lane to the relatively new 1990s housing development at Enfield Island Village) whilst the 191 takes an indirect routing from Brimsdown to Edmonton Green. The former London Country 313 route (although now in a different iteration) is allocated LTs including LT1 and green LT2 with the odd DW/E thrown in for good measure. Moving on to the single-deck routes and today (8th July 2023) is significant contractually as the route has been retained by Arriva and four shiny new Switch Metrocity EVs (EMN1-EMN4) will be delivered at some stage. In the interim the route continues to be operated by 9 metre EN/ENN on the route that operates from Enfield Garage (Glyn Road) to Oakwood Station. Meanwhile the reminder and majority of E based EN/ENN operates from Enfield to Tottenham Hale via Edmonton Green on the 192. The second biggest operator at Enfield Town with three routes is Metroline, and this despite losing the 307 not so long ago. All routes are operated from Potters Bar with diesel Gemini 2s (VWs) continuing to operate the 231, whilst similarly diesel Enviro 400s (TEs) are the predominant allocation on the W8 whilst the shortish 317 route that includes a blast up the A10 to Waltham Cross is pretty much an EV route with OMEs however VWHs also make an appearance. I know very little of Go-Ahead’s low-frequency 456, save that it was subject to recent changes. It’s interesting as it uniquely serves some roads to both the east and west of Winchmore Hill Station and again north of Enfield Town where for much of the route it’s the only bus serving the roads to Crews Hill. However, to get to Crews Hill Station (which I was surprised to see is in Zone 6 – I’d have guessed at 8) you need to make an indirect 15 minute walk. Surprisingly, the station is not served by any TfL bus routes. The 456 is operated from NP with StreetLites although SEEs appear on the route. Short 8.9 metre WS3,4 & 9 all operated the route earlier in the year but can now be found on the 463. Currently 10.8 metre WS49/50/61/62/63/64/66/79/80 are operating either the 456 or to be found in Chingford on the 379. Finally, Sullivan Buses operate the W9 with a mix of AE/SL – there have been no DD straying onto the route so assume there’s a bridge issue somewhere on the route (?). The route operates from Southgate Station to Chase Farm Hospital and due to the one-way system, you’ll only see southbound W9s ‘up-close and personal’ at Enfield Town Station. Ditto W8. Enfield Town is a good place to see London Buses, four operators and lots of different types including some good old diesels and shiny new EVs with even a green LT as the novelty attraction.
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Post by george on Jul 8, 2023 10:01:39 GMT
ENFIELD TOWN (standing outside Enfield Town London Overground Station) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm121 / Arriva / E / 21 /10 / Enfield Lock - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - Southgate - Palmers Green - Turnpike Lane Station 191 / Arriva / E / 19 /10 / Brimsdown - Enfield Wash - Forty Hill - Chase Side - Enfield - Ponders End Station - Edmonton Green 192 / Arriva / E / 15 / 10 / Enfield - Bush Hill Park - Bury Street - Montagu Road - Edmonton Lea Valley Tesco - Watermead Way - Tottenham Hale 231 / Metroline / PB / 7 / 15 / Enfield - Great Cambridge Road - Wood Green Turnpike Lane Station 307 / Arriva / E / 15 / 10 / Brimsdown - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - East Barnet - New Barnet - Barnet - Barnet Hospital 313 / Arriva / E / 8 / 20 / Potters Bar - Botany Bay - Enfield - Ponders End - Chingford 317 / Metroline / PB / 5 / 20 / Waltham Cross - Great Cambridge Road - Enfield 329 / Arriva / AD / 15 / 7.5 / Enfield - Winchmore Hill - Palmers Green - Wood Green - Turnpike Lane Station 377 / Arriva / E / 3 / 30 / Oakwood - Lonsdale Drive - Enfield - Bush Hill Park - Lincoln Road - Ponders End 456 / Go-Ahead / 5 / 30 / Crews Hill Golf Ride - Clay Hill - Willow Road - Enfield - World's End Lane - Church Hill - Winchmore Hill - Farm Road - Firs Lane - North Middlesex Hospital W8 / Metroline / PB / 16 / 8 / Chase Farm Hospital - Lavender Hill - Baker Street - Enfield - Church Street - Edmonton Green - Picketts Lock W9 / Sullivan Buses / SM / 7 / 15 / Chase Farm Hospital - Holtwhite's Hill - Enfield - Old Park - Winchmore Hill Station - Southgate 12 Routes / 4 Operators / 4 Garages / Total PVR = 136 / Bus Departures per hour = 111 WHAT YOU’LL SEE As you’re aware Enfield is very much an Arriva town enjoying 70% of the total PVR of the routes serving Enfield Town Station, the vast majority operating from Enfield (E) garage in Ponders End that dates back to 1927 when it was built for the London General Omnibus Company. Nearly 100 years later the hot news is of course the transition of the 307 to EV with Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners ES1-ES16 allocated to the route however at the time of writing ES14 & 15 are yet to enter service with DWs taking up the slack. Speaking of DWs there are in excess of 50 based at E although it’s a fair assumption that the number will decrease with the arrival of the ESs. The 121 is solely operated with DWs (routing Turnpike Lane to the relatively new 1990s housing development at Enfield Island Village) whilst the 191 takes an indirect routing from Brimsdown to Edmonton Green. The former London Country 313 route (although now in a different iteration) is allocated LTs including LT1 and green LT2 with the odd DW/E thrown in for good measure. Moving on to the single-deck routes and today (8th July 2023) is significant contractually as the route has been retained by Arriva and four shiny new Switch Metrocity EVs (EMN1-EMN4) will be delivered at some stage. In the interim the route continues to be operated by 9 metre EN/ENN on the route that operates from Enfield Garage (Glyn Road) to Oakwood Station. Meanwhile the reminder and majority of E based EN/ENN operates from Enfield to Tottenham Hale via Edmonton Green on the 192. The second biggest operator at Enfield Town with three routes is Metroline, and this despite losing the 307 not so long ago. All routes are operated from Potters Bar with diesel Gemini 2s (VWs) continuing to operate the 231, whilst similarly diesel Enviro 400s (TEs) are the predominant allocation on the W8 whilst the shortish 317 route that includes a blast up the A10 to Waltham Cross is pretty much an EV route with OMEs however VWHs also make an appearance. I know very little of Go-Ahead’s low-frequency 456, save that it was subject to recent changes. It’s interesting as it uniquely serves some roads to both the east and west of Winchmore Hill Station and again north of Enfield Town where for much of the route it’s the only bus serving the roads to Crews Hill. However, to get to Crews Hill Station (which I was surprised to see is in Zone 6 – I’d have guessed at 8) you need to make an indirect 15 minute walk. Surprisingly, the station is not served by any TfL bus routes. The 456 is operated from NP with StreetLites although SEEs appear on the route. Short 8.9 metre WS3,4 & 9 all operated the route earlier in the year but can now be found on the 463. Currently 10.8 metre WS49/50/61/62/63/64/66/79/80 are operating either the 456 or to be found in Chingford on the 379. Finally, Sullivan Buses operate the W9 with a mix of AE/SL – there have been no DD straying onto the route so assume there’s a bridge issue somewhere on the route (?). The route operates from Southgate Station to Chase Farm Hospital and due to the one-way system, you’ll only see southbound W9s ‘up-close and personal’ at Enfield Town Station. Ditto W8. Enfield Town is a good place to see London Buses, four operators and lots of different types including some good old diesels and shiny new EVs with even a green LT as the novelty attraction. 313 is a great route, never been a fan of LTs but being in a LT that originally where designed to be used on big central London routes so far out of zone 1 just shows you how times have changed.
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Post by borneobus on Aug 12, 2023 6:35:53 GMT
MORDEN Apart from short transitory visits, the last occasion that I spent time at Morden proper was June 2021. The novelty then was LT69 & LT70 that briefly operated school extras AM and PM on the 293 from V. In the intervening two years Go-Ahead have secured the 413 from RATP but of course the biggest news has been the swift electrification of A & AL resulting in circa 60% of Morden’s overall PVR now EV. So, with a visit due, I set off early one weekday morning, a couple of weeks ago to Morden. My plan was to take two trains: Elizabeth Line to TCR / Northern Line to Morden; this plan survived 15 minutes. Many years of travelling on bus, train and plane have left me with reasonably good antennae when it comes to early warning of ‘transportation issues’. Our train stopped just outside Ealing Broadway and after 1-2 minutes my internal Geiger Counter told me there was a problem. When we finally limped into Ealing Broadway the station staff advised that this formerly Abbey Wood bound train was now an Ealing Broadway terminator. I suspected this was the start of Elizabeth Line disruption so Plan B was invoked: Screeching / Screaming Central Line to Shepherd’s Bush / a packed Southern Class 377 to Balham / very quiet Northern Line to Morden. At Morden Station I exited, turned left, and walked north up the A24 stopping at Greggs to take advantage of their “Breakfast Deal”. If you’re looking for a ‘perfect’ location to watch London buses, you’ll likely to end up disappointed but I walked a little further north and made myself comfortable on the public street bench outside Sainsbury’s. The imperfection in this case was that the seat faced Sainsbury’s, not the A24 and the buses but never mind. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm80 / Go-Ahead / A / 15 / 8 / Belmont Highdown & Downview Prisons - Sutton - Collingwood Road - Sutton Common - Morden - St Helier 93 / Go-Ahead / A / 23 / 6.5 / North Cheam - Morden - Wimbledon - Putney Heath - Putney 118 / Go-Ahead / SW / 13 / 12 / Morden - Wandle Road - Mitcham - Streatham Vale - Streatham - Brixton 154 / Go-Ahead / A / 17 / 10 / Morden - Green Lane - Rosehill - Sutton - Carshalton Beeches - Wallington - Roundshaw - Duppas Hill - Croydon 157 / Arriva / N/TH / 18 / 12 / Morden - Rosehill - The Wrythe - Carshalton - Wallington - West Croydon - Selhurst - Anerley - Crystal Palace 163 / Go-Ahead / AL / 11 / 10 / Morden - Lower Morden - Raynes Park - Wimbledon Chase - Wimbledon 164 / Go-Ahead / AL / 12 / 10 / Sutton - Rosehill - Morden - Wimbledon Chase - Wimbledon 201 / Abellio / BC / 10 / 15 / Morden - Mitcham - Streatham - Streatham Hill - Tulse Hill Station - Thurlow Park Road - Herne Hill 293 / RATP / TV / 6 / 20 / Epsom General Hospital - Epsom - Ewell - North Cheam - Garth Road - Hillcross Avenue - Morden 413 / Go-Ahead / AL / 8 / 15 / Sutton - Gander Green Lane - Lower Morden - Cannon Hill Lane - Morden 470 / Go-Ahead / GM / 7 / 30 / Epsom - Ewell - Cheam - Sutton - Sutton Common - Morden - Colliers Wood K5 / RATP / TV / 6 / 30 / Ham - Cardinal Avenue - Canbury - Kingston - Norbiton - Kingston Hospital - Nelson Road - New Malden Fountain - Motspur Park - West Barnes Lane - Bushey Road - Raynes Park - Mostyn Road - Kenley Road - Morden 12 Routes / 4 Operators / 8 Garages / Total PVR = 146 / Bus Departures per hour = 82 WHAT YOU’LL SEEStarting with the EV there’s around a total of 50 BYD Alexander Dennis Enviro 40EV Citys to be seen operating 93 (pretty much 100%), 154 (95%) and 80 (circa 70% with the remainder made up of WHV and the odd stray DOE). IMHO these Ee are pleasant to ride on. The three single-deck EV routes are operated by 10.9 metre SEe with the 413 typically operated by former Q SEe52-SEe60 with the new LG23 batch SEe173-SEe199 (currently minus VOR SEe191) reserved for the 163/164. Having said that SOE12 was to be seen operating the 413 with a hand-written piece of paper in the windscreen! Better than no bus! When Charles Holden designed Morden Station in the early 1920s, he had the benefit of space as the location was then open farmland. I suspect this links in with the design and building of the largish buses only forecourt in front of the station that in addition to a couple of Bus Stops can accommodate 6/7 buses resting between work. This includes a couple of terminating diesel DD routes: SW operated 118 (E) and Arriva’s 157 (T) that’s scheduled to receive EV in December. There is some variety with the SD routes with Abellio’s sole route at Morden the terminator 201 that operates a direct routing through Mitcham and Streatham but once off the Streatham High Road takes a more roundabout route to Herne Hill via Tulse Hill and West Dulwich. The route is operated in the main by 10.8m Enviro 200s in the 87** and 88** range. Also operated by Enviro 200s, albeit by shorter 8.9m examples (SDEs) is the Mon-Sat K5 operated by RATP from TV. I’ve never travelled the route, but it looks long and fiddly and I should imagine with the residential roads it’s a pain to drive. A batch (SE235-243) of sightly longer (9.6m) Go-Ahead Enviro 200s operate the 470 Colliers Wood - Epsom from GM – Goat Road (or Gillingham Street in old money). The batch were latterly based SW operating the G1 and no so long ago the 322 prior to it’s move to Abellio and EV. Finally, the 293 is operated in the main with ‘long’ 11.5m DXEs (Enviro 200MMCs) and operates a direct routing from Morden to Epsom Hospital via North Cheam and Ewell, the only deviation just south of Morden Station where it is the only route to serve part of Lower Morden. You may be lucky and find one of RATPs few remaining ADEs operating. IN CONCLUSIONThe ends of LU lines are often happy hunting grounds for viewing London Buses – think Walthamstow, Edgware, Uxbridge and add Morden to this list. Morden Station opened in 1926 and nearly 100 years later passengers are still conveniently transferring from tube to bus just as was envisioned a century ago. This is an excellent location; fairly busy and varied, particularly with diesels and hybrids still operating from Sutton. It’s easy to see everything with little stress and there’s no nasty one-ways to make things challenging. Highly recommended and a good morning out.
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Post by northlondon83 on Aug 12, 2023 8:13:51 GMT
MORDEN Apart from short transitory visits, the last occasion that I spent time at Morden proper was June 2021. The novelty then was LT69 & LT70 that briefly operated school extras AM and PM on the 293 from V. In the intervening two years Go-Ahead have secured the 413 from RATP but of course the biggest news has been the swift electrification of A & AL resulting in circa 60% of Morden’s overall PVR now EV. So, with a visit due, I set off early one weekday morning, a couple of weeks ago to Morden. My plan was to take two trains: Elizabeth Line to TCR / Northern Line to Morden; this plan survived 15 minutes. Many years of travelling on bus, train and plane have left me with reasonably good antennae when it comes to early warning of ‘transportation issues’. Our train stopped just outside Ealing Broadway and after 1-2 minutes my internal Geiger Counter told me there was a problem. When we finally limped into Ealing Broadway the station staff advised that this formerly Abbey Wood bound train was now an Ealing Broadway terminator. I suspected this was the start of Elizabeth Line disruption so Plan B was invoked: Screeching / Screaming Central Line to Shepherd’s Bush / a packed Southern Class 377 to Balham / very quiet Northern Line to Morden. At Morden Station I exited, turned left, and walked north up the A24 stopping at Greggs to take advantage of their “Breakfast Deal”. If you’re looking for a ‘perfect’ location to watch London buses, you’ll likely to end up disappointed but I walked a little further north and made myself comfortable on the public street bench outside Sainsbury’s. The imperfection in this case was that the seat faced Sainsbury’s, not the A24 and the buses but never mind. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm80 / Go-Ahead / A / 15 / 8 / Belmont Highdown & Downview Prisons - Sutton - Collingwood Road - Sutton Common - Morden - St Helier 93 / Go-Ahead / A / 23 / 6.5 / North Cheam - Morden - Wimbledon - Putney Heath - Putney 118 / Go-Ahead / SW / 13 / 12 / Morden - Wandle Road - Mitcham - Streatham Vale - Streatham - Brixton 154 / Go-Ahead / A / 17 / 10 / Morden - Green Lane - Rosehill - Sutton - Carshalton Beeches - Wallington - Roundshaw - Duppas Hill - Croydon 157 / Arriva / N/TH / 18 / 12 / Morden - Rosehill - The Wrythe - Carshalton - Wallington - West Croydon - Selhurst - Anerley - Crystal Palace 163 / Go-Ahead / AL / 11 / 10 / Morden - Lower Morden - Raynes Park - Wimbledon Chase - Wimbledon 164 / Go-Ahead / AL / 12 / 10 / Sutton - Rosehill - Morden - Wimbledon Chase - Wimbledon 201 / Abellio / BC / 10 / 15 / Morden - Mitcham - Streatham - Streatham Hill - Tulse Hill Station - Thurlow Park Road - Herne Hill 293 / RATP / TV / 6 / 20 / Epsom General Hospital - Epsom - Ewell - North Cheam - Garth Road - Hillcross Avenue - Morden 413 / Go-Ahead / AL / 8 / 15 / Sutton - Gander Green Lane - Lower Morden - Cannon Hill Lane - Morden 470 / Go-Ahead / GM / 7 / 30 / Epsom - Ewell - Cheam - Sutton - Sutton Common - Morden - Colliers Wood K5 / RATP / TV / 6 / 30 / Ham - Cardinal Avenue - Canbury - Kingston - Norbiton - Kingston Hospital - Nelson Road - New Malden Fountain - Motspur Park - West Barnes Lane - Bushey Road - Raynes Park - Mostyn Road - Kenley Road - Morden 12 Routes / 4 Operators / 8 Garages / Total PVR = 146 / Bus Departures per hour = 82 WHAT YOU’LL SEEStarting with the EV there’s around a total of 50 BYD Alexander Dennis Enviro 40EV Citys to be seen operating 93 (pretty much 100%), 154 (95%) and 80 (circa 70% with the remainder made up of WHV and the odd stray DOE). IMHO these Ee are pleasant to ride on. The three single-deck EV routes are operated by 10.9 metre SEe with the 413 typically operated by former Q SEe52-SEe60 with the new LG23 batch SEe173-SEe199 (currently minus VOR SEe191) reserved for the 163/164. Having said that SOE12 was to be seen operating the 413 with a hand-written piece of paper in the windscreen! Better than no bus! When Charles Holden designed Morden Station in the early 1920s, he had the benefit of space as the location was then open farmland. I suspect this links in with the design and building of the largish buses only forecourt in front of the station that in addition to a couple of Bus Stops can accommodate 6/7 buses resting between work. This includes a couple of terminating diesel DD routes: SW operated 118 (E) and Arriva’s 157 (T) that’s scheduled to receive EV in December. There is some variety with the SD routes with Abellio’s sole route at Morden the terminator 201 that operates a direct routing through Mitcham and Streatham but once off the Streatham High Road takes a more roundabout route to Herne Hill via Tule Hill and West Dulwich. The route is operated in the main by 10.8m Enviro 200s in the 87** and 88** range. Also operated by Enviro 200s, albeit by shorter 8.9m examples (SDEs) is the Mon-Sat K5 operated by RATP from TV. I’ve never travelled the route, but it looks long and fiddly and I should imagine with the residential roads it’s a pain to drive. A batch (SE235-243) of sightly longer (9.6m) Go-Ahead Enviro 200s operate the 470 Colliers Wood - Epsom from GM – Goat Road (or Gillingham Street in old money). The batch were latterly based SW operating the G1 and no so long ago the 322 prior to it’s move to Abellio and EV. Finally, the 293 is operated in the main with ‘long’ 11.5m DXEs (Enviro 200MMCs) and operates a direct routing from Morden to Epsom Hospital via North Cheam and Ewell, the only deviation just south of Morden Station where it is the only route to serve part of Lower Morden. You may be lucky and find one of RATPs few remaining ADEs operating. IN CONCLUSIONThe ends of LU lines are often happy hunting grounds for viewing London Buses – think Walthamstow, Edgware, Uxbridge and add Morden to this list. Morden Station opened in 1926 and nearly 100 years later passengers are still conveniently transferring from tube to bus just as was envisioned a century ago. This is an excellent location; fairly busy and varied, particularly with diesels and hybrids still operating from Sutton. It’s easy to see everything with little stress and there’s no nasty one-ways to make things challenging. Highly recommended and a good morning out. nice to read these as usual. I went to Morden this morning and I was surprised about how close it is to Sutton! Although it did help that there was very little early morning traffic
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Post by ilovelondonbuses on Aug 18, 2023 13:53:57 GMT
borneobus have you done a write up about London buses at Fulham Broadway? Might be a place to explore .
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Post by borneobus on Aug 19, 2023 8:13:41 GMT
ILFORDWalked out of Ilford Station, turned right and walked south for one minute to the intersection of A123 (Chapel Road) / Ilford Hill / High Road (that’s pedestianised: with the exception of westbound buses only) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm25 / Stagecoach / BW / 31 / 7.5 / Ilford - Manor Park - Stratford - Bow - Mile End - Whitechapel - Aldgate - Bank - City Thameslink Station 86 / Stagecoach / NS / 31 / 6 / Romford - Chadwell Heath - Ilford - Manor Park - Forest Gate - Stratford 123 / Arriva / AR / 20 / 10 / Ilford - Gants Hill - Southend Road - Forest Road - Tottenham Hale - Tottenham - Turnpike Lane Station - Wood Green Station 128 / Stagecoach / NS / 15 / 12 / Claybury - Barkingside - Gants Hill - Ilford - Becontree Heath - Queen's Hospital - Romford 145 / Stagecoach / BK / 17 / 12 / Dagenham Asda - Orion Park - Dagenham Village - Becontree - South Park Drive - Ilford - Redbridge - Wanstead - Leytonstone 147 / Go-Ahead / RR / 21 / 8 / Ilford - East Ham - Upton Park - Prince Regent DLR station - Custom House - Canning Town Station 150 / Arriva / DX / 15 / 12 / Chigwell Row - Hainault - Barkingside - Gants Hill - Ilford - Becontree Heath 167 / Stagecoach / BK / 7 / 20 / Loughton - Buckhurst Hill - Chigwell - Barkingside - Gants Hill - Ilford 169 / Stagecoach / BK / 14 / 10 / Clayhall - Barkingside - Ley Street - Ilford - Barking 179 / Stagecoach / BK / 12 / 12 / Chingford - Woodford Wells - South Woodford - Southend Road - Gants Hill - Ilford 296 / Stagecoach / NS / 8 / 15 / Romford - Rose Lane - Newbury Park - Gants Hill - Ilford 364 / Go-Ahead / RR / 14 / 10 / Dagenham East - Dagenham - Goodmayes - Meads Lane - Coventry Road - Ilford 366 / G-Ahead / DS / 18 / 10 / Redbridge - Ilford - Barking - Beckton Sainsbury's - Gallions Reach Shopping Park - Cyprus - Beckton 396 / Go-Ahead / RR / 5 / 20 / Little Heath King George Hospital - Newbury Park - Gants Hill - Ilford Sainsbury's 425 / Stagecoach / BW / 21 / 10 / Ilford - Manor Park - Forest Gate - Stratford - Bow - Mile End - Homerton Hospital - Clapton Nightingale Road 462 / Stagecoach / BK / 8 / 15 / Limes Farm - Grange Hill - Hainault - Fairlop - Barkingside - Longwood Gardens - Gants Hill – Ilford EL1 / Go-Ahead / RR / 19 / 5.5 / Barking Riverside - Barking Reach - Thames View Estate - Barking - Ilford Hill W19 / Stagecoach / AW / 18 / 10 / Ilford - Manor Park - Aldersbrook - Leytonstone - Whipps Cross Hospital - Leyton Green - Walthamstow - Argall Avenue Industrial Estate 18 Routes / 3 Operators / 7 Garages / Total PVR = 294 / Bus Departures per hour = 214 WHAT YOU’LL SEEFrom where I’m standing, I can see in the distance a New Routemaster in the red/yellow ‘East London’ scheme parked up on Ilford Hill between EL1 duties. Very adjacent to Ilford Hill is Roden Street which is where two SD routes terminate: Stagecoach NS operated 296 and Go-Ahead RR 396. There are a further nine Ilford terminators. For those unfamiliar with Ilford’s geography the Elizabeth Line Station is on the west side of the ‘town’. In years gone by the ‘High Road’ (to the east) which is the main shopping area would have been the main road through to Romford but at a point in time traffic was diverted south via Winston Way. Buses use Clements Road which includes the very busy Redbridge Central Library Bus Stop(s) with the next stop Hainault Street either the final or first stop for the following Ilford terminators: 25, 123, 147, 167, 179, 364, 425, 462 & W19. As far as I’m aware all nine services park up between services in a Bus Park located at the north end of Hainault Street besides the junction of Ley Street where’s there’s space to park approximately a dozen buses. Routes that are notable, to me anyway are the 123, operated from AR by Arriva and one of only two Arriva routes in this Go-Ahead / Stagecoach town. It’s noteworthy as the only Ilford route connecting East to North London. Similarly, the 25 is the only Ilford route to serve the City of London and it’s not so long ago that you could have ridden all the way to Oxford Street – however the scheduled 26 minutes on the Elizabeth Line Ilford-Bond Street is probably a quarter of the time it would have taken to do an end2end on a Saturday afternoon 25 way back when. Two routes that have not been mentioned before in reports are the 167 & 462, both operated by Stagecoach BK Enviro 200. The 167 routes north to Loughton via Gants Hill, seemingly by accident loosely following the Central Line ‘Hainault Loop’ passing near to, but not serving Fairlop, Hainault & Grange Hill Stations before Chigwell Station is served and then onto the Central Line proper stopping at Buckhurst Hill Station and finally Loughton Station. I’ve neither ridden the 167 or 462 but from the TfL map I can see the 462 uniquely serves Longwood Gardens in Clayhall, a long residential road before routing via Fairlop and Grange Hill Stations and terminating in the Limes Farm Estate in Hainault that is the only bus serving the estate. A couple of through routes worthy of comment. Go-Ahead’s 366 that’s using a batch of 20 LB23 plate SEe (SEe200-SEe219). Operated from Henley Road, the route’s transformation to EV seemingly happened almost overnight in July and finally the 86, that should much later this year be the second Ilford route to receive EV. The latest TfL published stats had the 86 as the 6th busiest London route 2021/22 with 8.4M PAX. I’m fascinated to see what, if any impact the Elizabeth Line will have on the 86 that never strays more than a seven-minute walk from Stratford / Maryland / Forest Gate / Manor Park / Ilford / Seven Kings / Goodmayes / Chadwell Heath and Romford Stations. After all, with 12 trans per hour on this stretch of the line, the Elizabeth Line is very much a “Turn-up-and-go” travel scenario and with many stations will surely syphon-off some of the 86 traffic (or do any locals out there know better?). CONCLUSIONAnother good, busy, honest London bus location; varied at least types wise, if not operator with plenty of diesel and there’s always nearby Ilford Station to shelter in if there’s a sudden downpour.
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Post by borneobus on Aug 26, 2023 8:11:22 GMT
ORPINGTONIt was early August, and I sat in the sun on a bench located outside King Palace Chinese Restaurant; it’s besides the roundabout that’s home to Orpington War Memorial located at the southern end of Orpington High Street. It took just 15 minutes to travel LBG-ORP on a ‘fast train’ operated by a Southeastern class 375 then it was a 10 minute walk down the steepish hill from the station to the town. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm51 / Go-Ahead / BX / 19 / 10 / Orpington - Foots Cray - Sidcup - Welling - Woolwich 61 / Stagecoach / TB / 9 / 15 / Chislehurst Gordon Arms - Orpington - Locksbottom - Bromley Common - Bromley 208 / Go-Ahead / MB / 16 / 12 / Orpington - Petts Wood - Bromley - Downham - Bellingham - Catford - Lewisham 353 / Go-Ahead / MB / 7 / 20 / Ramsden - Orpington - Locksbottom - Hayes - Addington Interchange - Forestdale 358 / Go-Ahead / MB / 17 / 12 / Orpington - Farnborough - Locksbottom - Bromley - Elmers End - Beckenham - Penge - Anerley - C Palace B14 / Stagecoach / TB / 5 / 30 / Orpington - St Paul’s Cray - Sidcup - The Drive - Albany Park - Danson Park - Bexleyheath R1 / Go-Ahead / MB / 7 / 20 / Green Street Green - Chelsfield - Orpington - St Mary Cray - Grovelands R2 / Go-Ahead / MB / 3 / 20 / Melody Road - Biggin Hill - Leaves Green - Keston Mark - Locksbottom - Orpington R3 / Go-Ahead / MB / 6 / 20 / Locksbottom Princess Royal University Hospital - Pett's Wood - Poverest - St Mary Cray - Orpington R4 / Go-Ahead / MB / 6 / 20 / Pauls Cray Hill - St Mary Cray - Orpington - Locksbottom Princess Royal University Hospital R5 / Go-Ahead / MB / 1 / 150 / Orpington - Pratt's Bottom - Halstead - Knockholt - Green Street Green - Orpington (Circular) R6 / Go-Ahead / MB / 2 / 30 / St Mary Cray Station - Wotton Green - Burrfield Drive - St Mary Cray - Orpington R7 / Go-Ahead / MB / 4 / 30 / Chelsfield Village - Orpington - Petts Wood - Bickley Aquila - Chislehurst R8 / Go-Ahead / MB / 1 / 90 / Biggin Hill Aperfield Road - Downe - Green Street Green - Orpington R9 / Go-Ahead / MB / 3 / 12 / Ramsden – Orpington (Circular) R10 / Go-Ahead / MB / funded by R5 / 150 / Orpington - Green Street Green - Knockholt - Pratt's Bottom - Green Street Green - Orpington (Circular) R11 / Go-Ahead / MB / 9 / 12 / Green Street Green - Orpington Hospital - Orpington - St Paul's Cray - Foots Cray - Sidcup Queen Mary's Hosp 17 Routes / 2 Operators / 3 Garages / Total PVR = 115 / Bus Departures per hour = 73 ORPINGTON (MB) GARAGEAs I’m an infrequent visitor to Orpington, and mainly for my own amusement here’s a list of the 170 buses currently based at the Go-Ahead (former Metrobus) (MB) garage located on Farnborough Hill in Green Street Green that’s approximately a mile-and-a-half south of Orpington town. These buses are of course the mainstay for the routes serving Orpington. ENVIRO 200 (79) 8.9M – 154-169 / 171-188 / SE288-290 9.3M – SE89 9.6M – SE213-216 / 243-245 / 261-267 / SEN10 / 22-29 / 41-42 10.2M – 731-733 / SE151 10.8M – 751-762 STREET LITE (33) 8.9M – WS1-2 / 5-8 / 51-60 10.8M – WS100-103 / 118-130 MERCEDES CITARO (15) MEC52-53 / 55 / 57-59 / 61-69 (MEC68 VOR) ENVIRO 400 (15) E151 / 208-210 / 225 / 227 (E151 VOR) EH16-17 / 19-20 EN28 / 42-44 / 46 ENVIRO 400 MMC (19) EH84 / 86 / 311-327 BYD / Alexander Dennis Enviro 20EV (9) Ee103-Ee111 MB operate 22 routes (more than other ‘London’ garage) of which 14 serve Orpington (the remaining 8 routes are to be seen operating in Bromley, Beckenham, Sidcup & Eltham). Additionally, one morning and one afternoon 654 service operates to / from Harris Academy in Orpington on school days. In addition to most routes, MB must also have by far the greatest number of SD allocated to one London garage (a staggering 127). In theory and practice, any of the MB based buses could be allocated to a route serving Orpington (the most rarely seen are the ‘long’ Street Lites that spend most of their time on the Bromley North–Crystal Palace 227 but which do appear on service in Orpington supplementing the Citaros on the 358). WHAT YOU’LL SEEStarting of course with the MB operated routes the 208 terminates adjacent to the northern end of Orpington High Street and routes north via Bromley and Catford to Lewisham. It’s operated predominantly with EH3** with the odd stray ‘early’ EH, EN & E. The 353 originates to the east of Orpington at the Ramsden Estate and operates a pleasant east-west route via Keston, Hayes, Coney Hall & Addington Interchange terminating at Forestdale besides Selsdon Wood. Since March it's been operated by EV (Ee103-111) and was another swift Go-Ahead EV conversion. A cursory glance at LVF shows the batch is pretty much 100% dedicated to 353 (and 654 that is funded by a 353 bus). One Go-Ahead EV conversion that’s not been as swift is the 358 where in time the extraordinary looking 12 metre Irizar ie Trams (IE1-IE21) will replace 12 metre Citaros. For now, the MECs prevail although EV related work is currently underway at Orpington Station. The remaining MB operated routes serving Orpington are R1-R11. All can be seen at the Orpington War Memorial roundabout. I’m in no way an expert regarding these routes, have only travelled briefly on several of the routes however as has been mentioned on the forum there’s some very nice places to explore, in fact some of the best you’ll see from a red London bus including Leaves Green. Biggin Hill, Green Street Green, Knockholt Pound, Halstead and Cudham. So, a few observations about the ‘R’ routes that would probably benefit from forum members local knowledge. Firstly, the ‘R’ routes are overwhelmingly SD operations although on the day of my visit E225 was operating the R9. The R5 operates every 150 minutes from Orpington Station to Cudham and return / then becomes the R10 operating a different version of the R5. Just one bus is allocated to operate these two routes. Enviro 200s are of course the predominant SD however ‘short’ WS can be seen pretty much daily operating the R3 & R7. As for the other Orpington routes, GAL operate the 51, predominantly with twelve year old WVLs from BX. It’s a long north-south route from Orpington Station to Woolwich via Sidcup, Blackfen and Welling and on paper looks as though it’s rather a pleasant route. GAL don’t have a complete monopoly on routes serving Orpington as Stagecoach Bromley operate the 61 and Orpington sits in the midst of a very indirect Bromley-Chislehurst routing – more often than not you’ll find a diesel Enviro 400 in the 101** range operating the route…and finally the B14 operates up to Bexleyheath using ‘short’ 9.0m Enviro 200s. IN CONCLUSIONI took a walk north up the High Street passing the Walnuts Shopping Centre and enjoyed a pleasant hour in the (recommended) Swell Café, where’s there’s also a view to be had of the passing buses before walking back towards the Walnuts Centre and back to the station to complete an enjoyable visit. Orpington is a good place to view London buses, obviously and specifically MB based buses. It’s a pleasant town, very easy to reach from Central London which must have had an impact on house prices. My only thoughts are if the town was situated 25-30 miles south / south-east of its current location, and outside TfL control I wonder what bus services would look like? I look forward to returning to Orpington when I have some free time and enjoying some end2ends on some of the picturesque semi-rural ‘R’ routes.
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Post by borneobus on Oct 18, 2023 7:44:18 GMT
WALTHAM CROSS Standing besides Waltham Cross Bus Station that’s adjacent to the main shopping area and a five minute walk to Waltham Cross (WLC) UK rail station, and ten minute walk from Theobolds Grove (TEO) London Overground Station. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm217 / Sullivan / SM / 11 / 12 / Waltham Cross - Great Cambridge Road - Wood Green Turnpike Lane Station 317 / Metroline / PB / 5 / 20 / Waltham Cross - Great Cambridge Road - Enfield 327 / Sullivan / SM / 1 / 40 / Waltham Cross - Elsinge Estate - Turkey Street - Waltham Cross 279 / Arriva / E / 29 / 6.5 / Waltham Cross - Enfield Wash - Ponders End - Edmonton - Tottenham - Manor House 491 / Metroline / PB / 9 / 20 / Waltham Cross - Enfield Island Village - Ponders End - Galliard Road - Edmonton Green - North Middx Hospital 5 Routes / 3 Operators / 3 Garages / Total PVR = 55 / Bus Departures per hour = 21 WHAT YOU’LL SEE For the first time in this series of reports we stray outside the M25 and into Hertfordshire, specifically the Borough of Broxbourne and only the second location (after Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station) where all routes are terminators. Apart from being one of the northerly red bus outposts, walk north along Waltham Cross High Street and you’ll come to Theobolds Grove London Overground Station and a mile or so further north the LO’s most northerly terminus Cheshunt. Where to start but the north-south trunk route 279, that from the most recently TfL released stats lists it as the 8th busiest TfL route with 9.6m pax per annum. On 19th May the route was announced as an Arriva ‘retain’ with ‘new electric double deck’ with the start of the contract 14th October so we can expect to see Electroliners ‘ES’ replacing the Enviro 400 ‘T’ on this this route over the coming months. It won’t be the first EV operating to/from Waltham Cross, that plaudit goes to the 317 that is one of the shortest DD routes (4 miles), a direct route to Enfield via the A10 operated by Metroline from PB with MetroDeckers that were initially dedicated to the 134. Metroline’s other route, the 491 continues to be operated with DE and the odd DEM from PB on a (at times) meandering route to North Middx University Hospital via Ponders End and Edmonton Green. Sullivan Buses have two routes, the 217 operated by Enviro 400 MMCs with a dedicated batch E70-E81 supplemented by second-hand Enviro 400s – the route follows the same routing as the 317 as far as Enfield before continuing south on the A10 to Turnpike Lane. Finally, the 327 is operated on a one-way circular route south to the Elsinge Estate and back to Waltham Cross via Turkey Street LO station – with a PVR of just one on a 40 minute Mon-Sat frequency it’s comfortably within the top 10 quietest TfL routes with just 48k pax pa. In 2023 it’s always been operated by an Enviro 200 ‘AE’. Another anomaly for Waltham Cross is it’s the only red bus destination with a critical mass of routes (five) that’s has a notable presence from other operators (Arriva, Epping Forest Community Transport, Metroline & Vectare). WALTHAM CROSS BUS STATION
The Bus Station is basic, but the plus is there’s a ‘waiting room’ that provides an escape from the elements but sadly there’s no ‘countdown’ next bus display and the WC are for drivers use only however the nearby Pavilions Shopping Centre contains facilities. Operationally there are nine remote parking stands that buses can reverse onto to rest between duties. I seem to recall Metroline a couple of years ago had a DE here acting as a crew bus but that's gone. There are four Bus Stops at the Bus Station: A – 217 / 317 / 327 B – 279 / 491 C – Vectare 13/13A/13B/13C / 14 / 22/22A / 505 / Arriva 66/66A / 251 / Epping Forest Community Transport 211 / 212 D – Metroline 242 / Arriva 251 / 310 Cannot vouch for the other operators but regarding the TfL routes the Bus Station stops only pick-up departing pax, all arriving pax are dropped off at stops adjacent to the Bus Station on Eleanor Cross Road. A few scribblings of other operators: Arriva Southern Counties2403 Optare Versa (based Ware) operating 251 6494 & 6497 Enviro 400MMCs (based Ware) operating 310 VectareYX69 NWB Enviro 200MMC (based Rettendon) But of greatest interest in their Metroline blue/red livery were DES798 & DEL848 operating the 242 (Potters Bar – Waltham Cross) route. For context last TfL services were: DES798 04FEB2015 (383) DEL848 not sure as LVF records only go back as far as November 2020 for this bus IN CONCLUSIONSomething a little different and more varied with the other operators present with all the necessary facilities witin a 5-10 minute walk.
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